Porcelain tank and process of making the same



Mar. 21,1923.

(3-. 'KIRK ,ET AL;

PORCELAIN TANK AND.,1 ROGE'SS"O F MAKING THE SAME Filed Apr. 6, 1922 oRsPatented Mar. 27, 1923.

UHTE STATES 1,44aii PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES J KIRK AND GEORGE BRAIN, OF NEW CASTLE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORST0 UNIVERSAL SANITARY MANUFACTURING 00., OF NEW CASTLE, PENNSYL- VANIA,A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

PORCELAIN TANK AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME.

Application filed April 6,

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that we, CHARLES J. KIRK and GEORGE BRAIN, citizens of theUnited States, and residents of New Castle, in the exact descriptionvthereof.

Our invention relates to porcelain tanks and similar articles ofgenerally rectangular form which are cast from liquid clay clip.

One object of our invention is to provide a tank of the characterindicated, wherein the corners shall befree from cracks and strongerthan the articles produced by ordinary casting methods.

Another object of our invention is to pro vide a process of making castporcelain tanks in which the time required for setting the porcelainshall be materially reduced, and in which the product shall bematerially stronger than ordinary cast porcelain articles, particularlywith respect to the construction of its corners.

Porcelain tanks, such as flush tanks, are cast from liquid slip, andmust be kept in the molds until the slip has set. The diagonal width ofthe corners of such tanks is necessarily greater than the width of theside walls, and these thick corner portions of the tank require a longertime for setting than the side walls, because the setting time of theslip is practically proportional to the thickness of its section. In thecase of flush tanks for sanitary installations, it is found that theside walls and bottom of the tank will set satisfactorily inapproximately three hours, while the corners of the tank require as muchas six hours for setting. Since the side walls set quicker than thecorners, strains develop between the set and unset portions, producingcracks at the corners which are patched up when the cracks are notlarge, and which often are sufiicient to break entirel through thecorner and spoil the tank. 8n account of this condition of unequalsetting the corners of the tank are permanently in a condition ofstrain, and the corners therefore are the weakest parts of the tank andmost subject to breakage.

According to our present invention, we

1922. Serial No. 550,211.

avoid all of the difficulties mentioned above by casting the tank in theordinary manner, permitting it to rest inthe mold until the side wallshave set properly, then piercing a hole through the bottom of the tankbelow each corner portion, drainingout through these openings the slipwhich still remains liquid inside the corners, andthen plugging thepierced openings, which leaves all por- The accompanying drawing showsone method of carrying out invention. Fig. 1 is'a perspective view of afinished flush tank; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view with partsin section of one end of the tank;

and Fig. 3 is a plan view of one end of the TF1 tank, with one of thecorners shown in section.

The drawing shows a cast porcelain tank having a front wall 2, sidewalls 3, a rear wall 4, a bottom 5, rounded front corners 6 and rearcorners 7 Thistank is cast in the usual manner in a mold which may be ofany usual or desired construction. The rear wall 4 rests flat againstthe wall against which the tank is installed. It will be seen that therear corner portions 7 of the tank are materially thicker than the walland bottom portions.

After the tank is cast it is allowed to set for a time suflicient to setthe wall portions of the tank, at which time the rear corner portions 7will have solidified to a depth ap: proximately equal to the thicknessof the side walls, and will contain a core of liquid slip which has notyet hardened. Openings 8 are then pierced through the bottom 5 in suchpositions as to provide outlets for the liquid slip contained in thecorners 7 and small vent openings 9 are pierced through to the'liquidcore near the top of the tank. The liquid slip is then drained out,leaving vertical. openings 10. The drainage openings 8 are then pluggedwith clay, putty or any other suitable material, as shown at 11, Fig. 1,and the small vent openings 9 are left open to keep the inner spaces 10in communication with the outer air, so as to permit the free passage ofair with changes in temperature, and to prevent the air within thespaces 10 from expanding when heated and exerting pressure on theporcelain. In the case of a flush tank such as that shown in thedrawing, the vent openings 9 are preferably pierced through to thespaces 10 from the rear of the tank so as to be out of sight when thetank is installed.

The porcelain tanks constructed in the manner described above presentthe same outer appearance as ordinary cast porcelain tanks. They havethe advantages that the corners are free from cracks, are free frominternal strains, and have a tubular construction which adds to themechanical strength of the corners.

It is recognized that the method herein described may be varied in somerespects without departing from our invention, the scope of which is setforth in the appended claims.

e claim as our invention:

1. The process of casting porcelain tanks having corners that comprisespouring liquid slip into a suitable mold, permitting the porcelain toset until the side walls of the tank have solidified, piercing one ormore of the corners to permit the escape of unsolidified slip anddraining off the unsolidified slip.

2. The process of casting porcelain tanks having corners that comprisespouring liquid slip into a suitable mold, permitting the porcelain toset until the walls of the tank have solidified, making an openingthrough the bottom of the tank adjacent to one or more of its corners,draining off unsolidified slip through the said openings, and pluggingthe said openings.

3. The process of casting porcelain tanks having corners that comprisespouring liquid slip into a suitable mold, permitting the porcelain toset until the walls of the tank have solidified, making an openingthrough the bottom of the tank adjacent to one or more of its corners,draining ofi" unsolidified slip through the said openings, plugging thesaid openings, and forming vent openings to place the chambers left bythe said liquid slip in communication with the outer 2111',

4:. A cast porcelain tank having one or more hollow corners.

5. A cast porcelain tank having one or more corner portions of greaterthickness than the wall portions of said tank, the said corner portionsbeing hollow and the walls of the said hollow corners being ofsubstantially the same thickness as the side walls of said tank. a

6. A cast porcelain tank having one or more hollow corners and havingone or more vent openings for placing the interior of said corners incommunication with the outer air.

7. A cast porcelain tank having one or more corners of greater thicknessthan the side walls of the tank, the said corners being hollow andhaving walls of substantially the same thickness as the side walls ofsaid tank, the said corners being provided with vent openings forplacing the hollow interior of said corners in communication with theouter air.

In testimony whereof,

we the hereunto set our hands.

CHARLES. J. KIRK. GEORGE BRAIY.

said CHARLES J. KIRK and GEORGE BRAIN, have

